WWW.MEDIAPOST.COM
Precious Little Time
by Jack Loechner, Wednesday, December 24, 2008 9:30 AM
Another index declining this year is the shrinking of America's leisure time, according to the latest results from The Harris Poll, tracking America's leisure time since 1973. The poll finds
that The median number of leisure hours available each week dropped 20% in 2008, from 20 hours in 2007, to an all-time low of only 16 hours this year. This continues a trend which has seen
America's median weekly leisure time shrink 10 hours from 26 hours per week in 1973. The Harris Interactive survey of 1,010 adults between October 16 and 19, 2008 found that:
- The biggest changes this year in how people are using their precious leisure time were in TV watching (up 6 points), exercise (up 3 points) and spending time with family and
kids (up 3 points)
- Since 1995 the largest changes in how people are spending their leisure time are exercising (up 6 points), computer activities (up 5 points), spending time
with family and kids (up 5 points) and swimming (down 5 points)
- 30% of Americans say their favorite activity is reading (up from 29% in 2007) while 24% say it is TV watching and 17%
say it is spending time with family and kids (up from 14% in 2007). Rounding out the top five leisure time activities are exercise (8%) and computer activities and fishing (each at
7%);
- The median amount of time spent working, including housekeeping and studying, is now at 46 hours per week, slightly from 45 hours in 2007. In 1973, when this question was
first asked, the median was 41 hours a week
- Generation Xers (ages 32-43) are working the most hours (55 each week), followed by 50 hours each week for Echo Boomers (18-31) and Baby
Boomers (44-62). As many Matures are retired, they are only working 15 hours each week.
In 2008, Americans increased their work week one hour, yet claim to have lost four hours of
leisure time. As the American economic situation worsened, opined the report, people who were worried about their jobs spent more time "just checking in" via computer or wireless device and
didn't consider it as time working, nor did they count it as leisure time. Also, as leisure time shrinks, four of this year's top activities are reading, watching TV, exercising, and
computer activities. The research indicates that US Internet penetration is at an all-time high, it adding credence to the theory that Americans may be spending just as much or more time on computer
activities, yet are considering this time as neither work nor leisure.
Top 10 Favorite
Leisure-Time Activities(% of Respondents, Unaided Responses)
2003200420072008 Reading 24% 35% 29% 30% TV watching
17 21 18 24 Spending time with family/kids 17 20 14 17 Exercise (aerobics,
weights) 6 6 5
8 Computer activities 5 7
9 7 Fishing 9 8 7 7
Going to movies 7 10 7 6 Golf 3 4 5 6
Walking 4 6 6 6 Gardening 6 6 6 5
Source:
Harris Poll, October 2008 Biggest
Favorite Changes Since 1995(% of Respondents) 19952008 Change (Points)
Exercise 2% 8% +6
Computer activities 2 7 +5 Spending time with family/kids 12 17 +5 Swimming 7 2 -5
Source: Harris Poll, October 2008
Biggest Favorite Changes Since Last
Year(% of Respondents) 20072008 Change T.V. Watching
18% 24% +6 Spending time with
family/kids 14 17 +3
Exercise 5 8 +3
Source: Harris Poll, October 2008 Work Hours Per Week(% of Respondents; Hours a week spent at job or occupation, including keeping
house or going to school, as well as working for pay or profit) YearMedian Number of Work Hours 2008 46
2007 45 2004
50 2003 49 2002
47 2001 50
2000 50 1980
47 1973 41
Source: Harris Poll, October 2008 Leisure Hours Available Per Week(% of Respondents; Hours each week to relax, watch TV, take part in sports or hobbies, go swimming or skiing, go
to the movies, theater, concerts, or other forms of entertainment, get together with friends, etc)YearMedian Number of Leisure Hours 2008 16 2007 20 2004
19 2003 19
2002 20 2001
20 2000 20 1980
19 1973 26
Source: Harris Poll, October 2008
Work And Leisure Time Per Week (Demographic Categories)
Work hoursLeisure hoursAll
Adults 46 16
Age
Echo Boomers (18-31)
50 14 Gen. X (32-43)
55 20 Baby Boomers (44-62)
50 20 Matures (63+) 15 24
Region East 45 20 Midwest 49
14 South 50 20 West 40 15
Gender Male 50 20
Female 40 15
Race/Ethnicity
White 50 20
Black 40 10
Hispanic 50 10
Household
Income Less
than $35,000 40 10 $35,000 -
$49,999 45 15 $50,000 -
$74,999 50 20 $75,000 or more
50 20
Children Households with children
50 12 Households with no children
45 16
Source: Harris Poll, October
2008 For additional information,
please visit Harris Interactive here.